Eagles ‘Greatest Hits’ Passes ‘Thriller’ as Top-Selling Album

The Eagles’ first hits compilation, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, has passed Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the top-selling album of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The evergreen 1976 best-seller contains such hits as “Take It Easy,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Take It to the Limit” and “Desperado,” and was the first album to be issued platinum certification, for selling at least one million units. The record has reached 38 million copies in sales and streams, achieving 38-times platinum status, according to the Associated Press. Thriller stands at 33-times platinum.

RIAA’s certifications include sales of physical product, as well as streams and digital sales. In their tallies, 1,500 streams of an album is equivalent to an album sale. Ten song downloads also equal one album sale. You can view the RIAA’s list of the Top 100 certified albums of all time at its site.

Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Thriller have parried for the top position on that list for years. The last time the competition made news was in 2009, when sales of Thriller soared in the wake of Jackson’s death, putting the album in a near tie for sales superiority. (It also spawned one of The Onion’s funniest music-related headlines.) Thriller eventually passed the Eagles’ record in sales.

The band got some additional good news: Its 1977 classic Hotel California has been certified 26-times platinum, making it the third-best-selling album of all time.

“We are grateful for our families, our management, our crew, the people at radio and, most of all, the loyal fans who have stuck with us through the ups and downs of 46 years,” Eagles leader Don Henley said in a statement. “It’s been quite a ride.”